Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Wednesday 20 October 1999

Scottish Executive

Census

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has plans to amend the census format to include a question on the Scots language in order to assist in the promotion and provision of Scots in education and other areas.

Mr Jim Wallace: The topics proposed by the UK Government for the 2001 Census of Population were announced in the White Paper (Cm 4253) published on 4 March 1999. The White Paper did not contain a proposal to include a question on Scots language in the Census in Scotland.

  The Scottish Executive are now responsible for the Census in Scotland and will be making proposals about the content of the 2001 Census to the Scottish Parliament later this year.

Community Care

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail local authority expenditure on community care services in each of the last five years.

Iain Gray: The information is laid out in the table below.

  Gross Expenditure(1)(2)(3) on Community Care by Local Authorities (£'000s)

  


Client Group(4)



1993-94(5)



1994-95 

  


1995-96 

  


1996-97 

  


1997-98(6)





Adults with mental health problems 

  

15,280 

  

25,920 

  

33,151 

  

40,988 

  

39,522 

  



Adults with learning difficulties 

  

85,199 

  

93,182 

  

116,239 

  

129,103 

  

141,543 

  



Physically disabled adults 

  

51,218 

  

55,169 

  

60,502 

  

62,237 

  

45,890 

  



Older people(5)


308,316 

  

208,531 

  

230,364 

  

226,166 

  

319,336 

  



Substance misuse 

  

5,407 

  

10,659 

  

11,797 

  

10,829 

  

9,658 

  



HIV/AIDS 

  

1,154 

  

1,822 

  

2,161 

  

1,269 

  

1,906 

  



Services for all community care 

  client groups 

  

n/a 

  

209,344 

  

253,870 

  

313,237 

  

273,852 

  



Total Expenditure 

  

466,575 

  

604,627 

  

708,082 

  

783,829 

  

831,707 

  



  Source: Data supplied by local authorities on statistical form Local Financial Return (LFR3 Social Work).

  1. The gross expenditure includes an estimated apportionment for revenue contributions to capital and support services costs.

  2. Loan charges are excluded.

  3. All inter account and inter authority transfers are deducted from expenditure.

  4. The Social Work client groups have been updated in line with the new CIPFA guidelines on accounting for social services.

  5. The introduction of a new category "services for all community care client groups" in 1994-95 may have caused discontinuity in the time series. Care should be taken when comparing figures before and after this period. For example, a significant amount of the expenditure classified as for 'older people' in 1993-94, will have been recorded as 'Services for all community care client groups' in 1994-95 onwards.

  6. 1997-98 data are provisional and may be subject to revision.

Community Care

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to make decisions on its response to the Royal Commission on Long Term Care.

Iain Gray: The recommendations in the Commission’s report cover a wide range of issues. We are continuing to consider them and will respond as soon as possible.

Community Care

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has had discussions with Her Majesty’s Government on the implementation of the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Long Term Care.

Iain Gray: The Commission’s Report, With Respect to Old Age, makes wide-ranging recommendations on both devolved and reserved matters. The recommendations about social security matters and pensions are reserved to Westminster. The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with Her Majesty’s Government on a wide range of issues including the recommendations of the Royal Commission.

Education

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will detail the number of graduates from the Visual Science department of Caledonian University in each of the past five years and how many of these graduated in orthoptics.

Henry McLeish: As indicated in my response to your earlier question on this subject (S1W-557 published on 29 July 1999),   information is not available specifically for graduates in Orthoptics.

  However, the table below provides an update on previous information, with the addition of 1997-98 figures, and a breakdown of the number of students who graduated from Glasgow Caledonian University with a postgraduate, first degree, or other Higher Education qualification below degree level, in Ophthalmics, which includes Orthoptics and Optometry:

  

 

Postgraduate 

  


1st 

  Degree 


Other Higher 

  Education 


Total 

  




1994-95 

  

0 

  

58 

  

2 

  

60 

  



1995-96 

  

42 

  

52 

  

13 

  

107 

  



1996-97 

  

3 

  

63 

  

21 

  

87 

  



1997-98 

  

19 

  

60 

  

6 

  

85 

  



  Information prior to 1994-95 academic session is not readily available, due to a change in the data collection arrangements between 1993-94 and 1994-95 which resulted in a discontinuity in the series.

  ‘Other Higher Education’ relates to undergraduate courses below first degree level, such as HNCs, HNDs.

Emergency Planning

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is made available to local authorities with regards to the development and review of local emergency plans.

Angus MacKay: In relation to emergency planning aimed primarily at protection of lives, the Scottish Executive Justice Department runs general training courses for local authority staff and others, issues general guidance documents as required, and pays civil defence grant.

Environment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what criteria were used to determine whether or not Highland Council should be given permission to erect signs in Gaelic across the whole of the local authority area.

Sarah Boyack: The criteria used were road safety, the impact on the environment of large signs, the cost of replacing existing signs and whether there was a significant number of Gaelic speakers in the area concerned.

  Following useful discussions I had on 4 October with Highland Council I decided to permit the Council to erect bilingual directional road signs on local roads throughout the Highland Council area if the Council wishes to do so within the resources at its disposal and where there is local community support.

Justice

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have been attacked on roads and motorways in Scotland whilst waiting for emergency service vehicles, broken down by gender and age group for the last five years.

Angus MacKay: While we do compile statistics on crimes of assault, the available information recorded by the Police does not distinguish this level of detail.

Maritime Safety

George Lyon (Argyll and Bute) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it is making or intends to make to Her Majesty’s Government with regards to Oban and Pentland coastguard stations, and in particular, what measures it will propose to safeguard the future of these stations.

Sarah Boyack: I refer the Member to the answer given to question S1W-964.

Planning

Mr Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many compensation claims in relation to actions of planning departments have been settled in each of the last five years, what was the total sum of the payments, which local authorities were involved, and what was the total sum of payment for each local authority.

Sarah Boyack: This information is not held by the Scottish Executive.

Scottish Products

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the sale of Scottish products in retail outlets throughout Scotland

Henry McLeish: The Scottish Executive is keen to encourage the success of Scottish products both within Scotland and elsewhere. Within Scotland specifically it provides assistance through events such as the Royal Highland Show and the Aviemore Trade Fair.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to compensate Glasgow City Council and South Lanarkshire Council for the costs of Blight Notices served in respect of the proposed M74 extension.

Sarah Boyack: This scheme is currently the responsibility of Glasgow and South Lanark Councils. The future status of this road is being considered in the Strategic Roads Review and The Executive can give no undertaking on future arrangements for blight costs until a decision has been taken as to whether this scheme should be taken forward. I shall report to the Scottish Parliament on the Strategic Roads Review soon.

Transport

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive why Skye Bridge Ltd does not have to remove, as part of its contract, the toll barriers and booths at the end of its concession.

Sarah Boyack: The contract between Scottish Ministers and Skye Bridge Ltd requires the company to remove the toll collection facilities at the end of the concession period. Toll collection facilities are defined in section 39(4) of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the distribution is by time and travel to work area of hours lost by passengers on public transport because of congestion in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Sarah Boyack: The information requested is not held centrally.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its target is for reduction in the number of hours lost by drivers and passengers of private cars because of congestion.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to set such a target.

Transport

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its target is for reduction in the number of hours lost by passengers on public transport because of congestion.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans at present to set such a target.

Transport

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-93 by Sarah Boyack on 24 June 1999, when the strategic roads review is likely to be published.

Sarah Boyack: I plan to report to Parliament on the review shortly.

Water

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list, by water authority area, average water and sewerage charges for (a) domestic customers and (b) non-domestic customers for each of the last ten years and projections for the next five years.

Sarah Boyack: The following table shows the average combined water and sewerage charge for domestic customers since the water authorities became responsible for provision of water services in 1996. The figures are shown before domestic sewage relief grant:

  

 

(£) 


(£) 


(£) 


(£) 



 

1996-97 

  


1997-98 

  


1998-99 

  


1999-2000 

  




North of Scotland Water Authority 

  

144.07 

  

154.07 

  

173.85 

  

194.38 

  



East of Scotland Water Authority 

  

130.51 

  

140.26 

  

159.45 

  

174.18 

  



West of Scotland Water Authority 

  

130.77 

  

138.61 

  

154.36 

  

170.54 

  



  Prior to 1996, sewerage charges were collected as part of the Council Tax or Community Charge and were not identified separately.

  Non-domestic customers are charged on a number of different bases, including rateable value and volumetric charges, with various standing charges for connection. Non-domestic customers vary greatly in the size of their water consumption and sewage emissions. It is therefore not possible to estimate a valid average charge for non-domestic customers.

  Future charges will be determined on the basis of advice from the new Water Industry Commissioner who will take account of the customer interest and the investment needs of the industry.